Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 55510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 278(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
I spun around and ran toward the door at the front of the warehouse, hearing Justin’s thundering steps behind me. I knew he would catch up to me. His legs were longer, launching him across the warehouse faster and faster with each step. I veered toward the small, square table they sat at, coming to a sudden stop.
Justin ran at me, only ten feet away.
I grabbed the edge of the table and flung it over, making the legs fly up and hit Justin’s knees just as he got close enough to grab me. I dove out of the way as he toppled over with a surprised shout and crashed against the ground. That bought me time, but Wiley was already starting to try to get to his feet.
I headed for the main door of the warehouse with a burning, aching chest, hardly able to catch my breath. Slamming my shoulder against the rusted door, I broke free from the warehouse and stumbled onto the street with a relieved gasp.
21
ANDREW
“Stop, stop. Here!”
I stopped in the middle of the road that led through the rundown warehouse district of the city. Rusted, unused warehouses lined the road where we saw the black truck that had struck Rhett’s car turn down. It was the last camera capture that we were able to get after scrolling through video footage and combing the streets ourselves all night long.
However, it made sense for them to take her somewhere like this. No one but criminals with something to hide came to this part of town. Even cops knew better than to come around here alone, and I wanted to kick myself for not immediately thinking of this place to check out.
Benjamin pointed at the familiar black truck parked outside one of the abandoned warehouses. It even had scratch marks on its left side where it’d crashed against Rhett’s car. This had to be where they were hiding her.
“Bastards,” he said with gritted teeth. “They probably tied her up and held her hostage.”
I nodded in agreement, looking in the rearview mirror to see Akio and Rhett pull up behind us. I got out of the car so that we could all meet up in a group on the other side of the road from the warehouse.
“There is another car parked over there. We’re probably looking at a few guards,” I told them. “We need to be quick and quiet. If they know we’re coming, they’ll threaten her life and force us to back down. We can’t risk that.”
“Let’s go,” Rhett said impatiently as he glanced over at the warehouse. “We’ve already taken the entire night tracking the car.”
“You two take the back. Ben and I will go through the front,” I told them before turning toward the warehouse. To my confusion, the door in the front slammed open, and Emery stumbled out with blood staining the side of her face.
“Oh, fuck,” Benjamin breathed out in shock.
We all looked at each other before rushing toward her. Before we could reach her, two men stormed out of the door after her with angry looks on their faces. They had injuries themselves. If I wasn’t too shocked and wired, I would’ve told her how proud I was that she fought so hard.
Being the fastest, Akio reached Emery first. He wrapped his arms around her, picking her up with ease.
“Come on! Let’s get her to the car,” Rhett said as he joined Akio’s side, placing his hand on Emery’s back as she clung to Akio for dear life.
Benjamin and I didn’t stop. I reached the man with a shaved head first, driving my fist against his jaw to make him fold over immediately. I wasn’t finished, though. I stomped on his side once he crumbled against the ground, making him cry out in pain. I used to be above kicking a man while he was down, but he wasn’t a man to me. He was a monster, one who had threatened to take Emery away from me.
Benjamin didn’t even pause for a calculated attack. He lunged at the other man, who sported a bad limp and bloody knees. With a shout, Benjamin tackled the other man to the ground, crushing him against the asphalt. He grabbed the front of the man’s white t-shirt, pulling him up so that he could land a hefty punch against his cheek.
“Did you lay your hands on her?” he shouted in the man’s face. “Answer me!”
I glanced down at the man beneath me, seeing that his belt and pants were undone. Red filled my vision, and I grabbed the man’s shirt, lifting him up only to slam him against the ground. I knocked the breath right out of his lungs before punching him again, blood staining my knuckles.
“Did you?” I growled.
The man beneath me shook his head wildly.
“I didn’t! She attacked me before I could!” he said in a pleading voice.